Rugged gear goes with GIs to Iraqi desert

In the harsh deserts of Iraq, temperature extremes, sandstorms and bumpy terrain can be as hazardous to IT equipment as the enemy is.

Companies such as rugged notebook PC maker Itronix Corp. of Spokane, Wash., are experiencing a windfall of sorts, supplying the military with equipment that will be reliable in the harsh area.

Matthew Gerber, Itronix vice president for business development, said the company is filling orders for its flagship GoBook II and GoBook Max as quickly as the military requests them.

'It's not so much the volume but the speed' with which the military needs them, Gerber said. So far, Gerber said, Itronix has been able to fill all the orders, having set aside several notebooks for rapid deployment.